People and Strategy

HR leaders are reexamining what effective leadership truly means in a rapidly transforming world — particularly as generational differences reshape expectations for how leadership is defined, practiced, and communicated in today’s workplace. This is going to become more important than ever, given the fact that the U.S. labor force demographics are shifting. The fastest-growing segment of the U.S....

In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Kris Bahner, senior advisor for Mars Snacking and former chief global corporate affairs officer at Kellanova, to explore the state of employee retention in 2026. Drawing on a 35-year career with two decades with Kellogg and Kellanova, Bahner shares why staying can be a powerful career strategy in an era defined by job hopping. She explains how...

In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Shawnee Delaney, founder and CEO of Vaillance Group and a decorated former clandestine operations officer with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Delaney shares why HR leaders are the most underutilized intelligence asset in any organization. She explains her career journey from conducting human intelligence operations in combat zones to b...

In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Jamie Durling, regional Chief People Officer for luxury goods organizations such as Dolce & Gabbana and Moncler. Durling challenges the idea that HR is still earning its seat at the table. Instead, he argues that the opportunity lies in how HR leaders use that seat to orchestrate strategy, operations, and financial performance — especially thr...

This special episode of the People + Strategy podcast features host Carolynn Johnson, president of SHRM CEO Action, in conversation with Annette Tyman, partner at Seyfarth Shaw and chair of the firm’s People Analytics practice group. Together, they unpack what inclusion and diversity (I&D) compliance really looks like in today’s shifting legal landscape. As scrutiny intensifies and expectations ev...

In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Dan Wolf, CEO of leadership consulting company Dewar Sloan and editor of the People + Strategy Journal’s Director’s Roundtable, a regular column in the magazine that features a conversation with corporate board directors about workplace issues. Throughout the conversation, Wolf explores what it takes to navigate today’s increasingly complex bo...

In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Dawn Fay, operational president at Robert Half to unpack what the firm’s 2026 Salary Guide reveals about a cooling yet still competitive HR labor market. As wage growth moderates, Fay explores the growing tension between tighter budgets and rising expectations, where specialized skills in HR tech and analytics still command a premium. She help...

In this episode of People + Strategy, we speak about the ROI of workplace connection with ⁠Tracy Brower⁠, vice president of workplace insights at Steelcase and author of Critical Connections. Brower shares research on the rising loneliness level and its impact on employee performance, retention, and wellbeing. She explores the role that HR leaders can play in intentionally designing systems that f...

In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Jessica Kriegel, chief strategy officer at Culture Partners and author of Surrender to Lead. Drawing on her life’s deeply personal turning points, Kriegel reflects on how learning to surrender reshaped her approach to leadership, accountability, and organizational change. Through candid stories, she challenges traditional assumptions about tra...

In this episode of People + Strategy, SHRM President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, talks with renowned business scholar and HR thought leader Dave Ulrich about how and why HR has reached a true inflection point. Ulrich reflects upon his decades of experience to explore how AI, workforce burnout, and rising expectations from boards are reshaping what organizations need from HR today. The...

In this episode of People + Strategy, we talk with Sabrina Minor, VP and chief people officer at George Washington University. Minor shares candid stories about leading HR in a complex, 24/7 campus environment, including how she’s modernizing performance management, succession planning, and workplace flexibility across a five-generation workforce. She also explores how AI and technology can reduce...

In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Drew Holler, former senior vice president of associate experience at Walmart, where he worked for 20 years in operations and supply chain. He’s now the CHRO at the homebuilder Lennar. Holler explains how a focus on process, technology, and first-principles helped Lennar centralize HR, streamline routine work, and redirect teams toward higher-v...

Among SHRM’s 7 HR Trends of 2026 is workforce fragmentation, which is reshaping how organizations structure work, leadership, and culture. In this episode of People + Strategy, Nichole Oocumma, SHRM-SCP, draws on her experience leading HR across healthcare and public-sector organizations to make sense of this reality, exploring how remote, hybrid, and in-person models force difficult tradeoffs — a...

In this episode of People + Strategy, John Bernatovicz, founder of Willory, explores what it means to run HR as a true business function. Bernatovicz shares his journey leading payroll and executive search to building a virtual HR consultancy shaped by personal experience and values. He challenges the view of HR as purely administrative, calling on leaders to adopt an owner’s mindset grounded in f...

In this episode of People + Strategy, Darnell Lee, CHRO for the Chief Administrative Officer, reveals how leading HR for the U.S. House of Representatives means mastering the art of adaptability. With shifting leadership every two years and priorities that can change overnight, Lee has built a culture grounded in agility, excellence, and trust. He shares how competency models, data-driven planning...

In this episode of People + Strategy, Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, president and CEO of SHRM sits down with Jackson O. Lynch, founder of The Talent Sherpa to discuss workplace safety. This special episode was recorded at the SHRM Executive Network Visionaries Summit, where the duo discussed the concept of bringing your authentic self to work and why comfort is not the same thing as safety. Tun...

This episode is part of the November CHRO alignment series, where we talk to leaders about the executive connection. Today, Paul Theisen, founder of TAG CXO and veteran fractional CIO, unpacks what makes the CHRO–CIO partnership work. Plus, stay tuned for a trivia segment on CIO business trends. Theisen shares why the CIO and the CHRO are both customers and providers to one another — and how share...

This episode is part of the November CHRO alignment series, where we talk to leaders about the executive connection. Today, former Mastercard chief people officer Michael Fraccaro reveals what makes a strong relationship between a CHRO and the board. Drawing on his years leading through transformation,  Fraccaro shares how trust, openness, and regular dialogue help the board understand what’s real...

This episode of People + Strategy is part of the November CHRO alignment series, where we talk to leaders about the executive connection. Today, we’re taking you back in time to the SHRM Executive Network Visionaries Summit, where Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Adam Chamberlain and CHRO Lars Minns shared a behind the scenes look into their leadership partnership. The duo dive into how they’ve aligned a com...

This episode of People + Strategy is part of the November CHRO alignment series, where we talk to leaders about the executive connection. Today, SHRM’s CHRO Jim Link and CFO Jane Hadley join us in the studio to unpack what true executive alignment looks like when people and finance leaders work as one. Plus, see how well they know each other through a game segment. Through candid conversation and...

In this episode of People + Strategy, Felicia Robinson, CHRO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, reflects on how HR can steer organizations through change with clarity and heart. Robinson shares her approach to translating a company’s mission into meaningful employee experiences — from nurturing internal talent to weaving purpose into every role. She explores the balance between data-driven workforc...

In this episode of People + Strategy, Claire MacIntyre, senior VP and chief people officer at Sam’s Club, explores what it means to lead through the rise of AI while keeping people at the center. She shares why today’s leaders may guide the last fully human workforce, and how HR can shape an era of “people-led, tech-powered” work. From reimagining jobs around purpose and creativity to advancing sk...

In this episode of People + Strategy, Brian Dickens, CHRO of the University of Tennessee System, opens up about the realities of leading while caring for both aging parents and growing children. As part of the sandwich generation, Dickens explores how empathy, flexibility, and purpose-driven leadership can help organizations better support a rapidly expanding caregiving workforce. He offers insigh...

In this episode of People + Strategy, hear Brad Winn’s hard-won lessons on executive influence and the messy realities of organizational politics. Winn is a professor of leadership and strategy in the Huntsman School of Business, executive MBA director at Utah State University, and senior editor of the People + Strategy Journal. Winn draws upon his time as a member of the Utah House of Representat...

In this episode of People + Strategy, Thomas A. Cole, chair emeritus of the Sidley Austin law firm, reflects on the leadership lessons that shaped his 47-year career. He reveals why true meritocracy depends on character, humility, and what he calls “selfless ambition.” Cole explains how leaders can avoid the trap of building weak benches, why feedback is a gift, and how credentialism can hold orga...